Chargers @ Steelers: Official Game Thread

In week 12, the Steelers lost to the Broncos at Broncos Stadium. Now the Steelers travel to Heinz Field to play the Chargers.

For the Steelers to win:
The Steelers offense needs to start fast and pour it on the Chargers.
The Steelers defense needs to pressure Philip Rivers.
The Steelers defense needs to shut down Austin Ekeler.
The Steelers need to win the turnover battle.


From Steelers Depot:
Steelers Versus Chargers Week 13 Projected Inactive List

Mason Rudolph – Rudolph has yet to dress for a game so far this season as the rookie third-round draft remains at the bottom of the quarterback depth chart behind second-year signal caller Joshua Dobbs. Barring an injury to either Dobbs or starter Ben Roethlisberger, Rudolph only get a chance to dress for the Steelers regular season finale should that contest ultimately become a meaningless one. Look for Rudolph to once again be one of the Steelers seven inactive players Sunday night against the Chargers.

Marcus Gilbert – Gilbert once again ended the week listed as out on the Steelers official injury report after he failed to practice all three days because of a knee injury that has been bothering him since the team’s bye. Sunday night will mark the sixth consecutive game that Gilbert has missed and his seventh of the season. With Gilbert sidelined again Sunday night, backup offensive lineman Matt Feiler is expected to start in his place after not playing last Sunday due to a pectoral injury. Rookie tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who made his first career start last Sunday in place of Gilbert and Feiler, will likely resume his backup role Sunday night against the Chargers.

Morgan Burnett – Burnett surprisingly showed up on the Steelers injury report on Wednesday with a back injury and after failing to practice all three days the team officially listed him as doubtful for the team’s Sunday night game against the Chargers on Friday. Burnett previously missed four games during the first half of the regular season with a groin injury. With Burnett likely to be inactive Sunday night, reports indicate that rookie safety Marcus Allen will dress for the first time this season against the Chargers. Obviously, rookie safety Terrell Edmunds is expected to start again Sunday night alongside fellow Steelers safety Sean Davis and fellow safety Jordan Dangerfield is also expected to dress.

L.T. Walton – With starting defensive end Stephon Tuitt expected to return Sunday night from his two-game absence because of an elbow injury, there’s a good chance that Walton will find himself back on the Steelers seven-player inactive list. The Steelers will likely roll with backup defensive linemen Tyson Alualu and Daniel McCullers against the Chargers.

Zach Banner – With Feiler no longer on the injury report, Banner will likely remain on the team’s inactive list Sunday night against the Chargers. He’s only dressed for one game so far this season. The Steelers usually have two offensive linemen on their inactive list every week so look Gilbert and Banner should be the scratched duo again Sunday night.

James Washington – The Steelers are once again likely to have one wide receiver on their seven-player inactive list Sunday night and that player could very well wind up being Washington after his poor showing last Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Media reports from this past week indicated that veteran wide receiver Justin Hunter could be active Sunday night against the Chargers in lieu of Washington after receiving a lot of practice reps. Hunter has been inactive for the Steelers last four games and Sunday night would mark just the fifth game he’s dressed for this season. Should Washington wind up being the odd wide receiver out Sunday night it will mark the second time this season he’s been on the inactive list.

Bud Dupree – This last guess is a tough one with rookie outside linebacker Olasunkanmi Adeniyi being activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday along with Dupree ending the week listed as questionable on the team’s injury report. Dupree, however, did practice fully on Friday and his words after practice indicated that he might try to play Sunday night against the Chargers. Another interesting aspect to all this is that reports indicate that rookie safety Marcus Allen might dress on Sunday with Burnett doubtful. If that happens, cornerback Cameron Sutton, who sat out practice on Friday and thus ended the week listed as questionable, might not dress Sunday night as cornerback Brian Allen might just get a helmet again being as he wasn’t the player waived to make room Adeniyi. Personally, I think the Steelers might not know who their final inactive will be at this point. I really want to put Sutton in this final spot but will go ahead and guess that Dupree is sat down Sunday night.

 

Tunch Ilkins 3 keys to the game:

Key # 1: Stop Philip Rivers
Key # 2: Stop The Run
Key # 3: Block Defensive Playmakers

 

A lot of change possible out there today. Adeniyi could be a go. Dupree could be sat. Washington could be sat. We could finally get a regular season glimpse of Marcus Allen. Sutton could sit. Brian Allen could be active. hmmmmmmm.....will be fun to watch how this plays out.......may be a bit harder for Chargers to gameplan with some changes like these coming at them but that could be wishful thinking on my part that some of these guys step up and surprise the Chargers today

 

Biggest key to the game is the offense, specifically Ben, not turning the ball over at all. 0 turnovers, won’t matter if defense gets none. They win easily at Jacksonville and Denver if they don’t turn the ball over.

2nd key is get Connor re-involved in the offense again, they seemed to have a different approach with Switzer getting more involved over the last 2-3 games.

3rd key - if you have a 2nd and 1 run the damn ball and get the 1st down to keep the chains moving. Enough of these Ben in a shotgun with an empty set. Same goes for a 1st and goal at the 3 yard line. Bring in Nix and a 3 TE set and run the damn ball into the end zone.

Thank you

 

No doubt you are right. If Ben is such a self-titled "gunslinger" then impress us with how many rows back you can hurl the ball into the stands when there is no better option available, big dumb-A.

 

First post during the game. 7-0 Steelers

 

Edmunds with a big sack! Missed the Steelers drive, please tell me AB's big catch was over Derwin James lol

 

That flea flicker was nerve racking...glad Ben overthrew everyone

 

may be time to start thinking "new kicker"

 

Boz's XP struggles continue...13-0

 

wow lots of greats at heinz tonight ... love franco

 

Not after the big contract they just gave him this year...

 

Chargers got away with the false start on the TD

 

wow blatant false start uncalled

all 60k at heinz saw it and it leads to a 50 yard type td pass

tomlin saw it

not reviewable

what a load of crap the football rules can be because why is that not reviewable ?



i love that watt , tomlin , everyone gave that ref whose one job it is to see that an earful

 

#FireMoreRefs

 

I didn't have my glasses on and even I saw him jump.

 

getting a little pass happy

 

getting sloppy on first and second down

cmon guys

 

I’d like to see a little more Conner too

 

seriously what the hell is ben thinking when he does these things????!!?!?